


of deceit, revenge, and ghouls

by mionesena



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Blood, Gore, M/M, Murder, Mystery, Supernatural - Freeform, a bit fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:00:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27245398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mionesena/pseuds/mionesena
Summary: The moment Ten walked through the door, Taeyong knew he had to avoid him, because sensual ghouls are the most cunning and mischievous of them all. They’re dangerous, and Taeyong can’t handle them.
Relationships: Lee Taeyong/Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten
Comments: 3
Kudos: 36
Collections: Challenge #2 — tricks; treats; and terrors





	of deceit, revenge, and ghouls

**Author's Note:**

> please check the tags before you read! this is highly inspired by tokyo ghoul but not as gory as the series. and ghouls can drink alcohol here!
> 
> i crammed this one so didn’t get to proofread, but i hope you still enjoy the ride!

The first time Taeyong encountered a ghoul was all too petrifying for him that it had been engraved in his heart like a wound that will never heal. He was still young and naive back then, but he was already very much aware of the world they live in — a universe wherein two different worlds of humans and ghouls collide. The tales are told differently — one side of the story tells how ghouls started devouring humans and creating chaos that humans started to kill them as defense, while the other side of the story tells the other way around. The only coalition they’ve come up with during the ancient times is that their worlds will never become one; and as time went by, the separation between the two only intensified. 

The ghoul investigators are now renowned to be the keeper of peace — dedicated to capturing ghouls and protecting the human race. It is a profession that requires education from the prestigious Counter Ghoul Training Academy, the only one of its kind thus far. Those who came from a family of ghoul investigators get the privilege of being trained at a young age, and that’s the life Taeyong lives. His parents were highly praised ghoul investigators, and the general public loved them, but such honor produces great enemies. Ever since he was young, his parents have taught him to be cautious of his surroundings — and that belief has become a part of who he is today.

Because, the first time Taeyong encountered a ghoul, his parents were slaughtered; and the details of what occurred that night will remain a mystery that only Taeyong and a few of his acquaintances know. For him, the truth will prevail once he has successfully executed his long-thought plan.

x

“Stop following me,” Taeyong uttered in his very deep voice, coming to a halt to wait for a response.

“Are you going to that bar again?” A voice echoed on the dark alley.

“Don’t worry,” Taeyong faced the man coming from behind. “I won’t be caught, Kun.”

“I know that,” Kun walked towards the moonlight, revealing a man with mint hair and an angelic face. “I still don’t understand what beguiled you to trust that ghoul — and a high-ranked ghoul at that.”

“Well, keep your friends close and your enemies closer, right?” Taeyong smirks and raises a brow at him.

Kun chuckles quietly, “Wise words from an exemplary ghoul investigator, huh? Anyway, I’m coming with you tonight.”

A few minutes walk later and they arrive at an old underground bar owned by a high-ranked ghoul who only feeds on freshly dead people. They defend themselves, but they never attack. The bar can hold fifty ghouls and humans at most, and they only cater those who share the same values as them. 

“Yong, you haven’t visited in a while,” the ghoul at the bar counter calls upon them. “And I see you brought your friend with you, hm?”

“It’s nice to see you too, Doyoung,” Kun leans on the counter to greet the very malevolent bar owner. Kun has only visited the bar once in the past, and it’s only because he was with Taeyong, so he hasn’t established any good relationships with the owner and with the regulars here. 

“Top-shelf vodka for two,” Taeyong says eventually as he sits on the bar stool. “Thanks, Young.”

The place is the loudest this time of the night, right before midnight, because a special performance starts once the clock strikes twelve. Taeyong begins to observe the bar at that, like he mostly does, and he’s already gotten used to everyone staring at him and whispering about him. Firstly, he’s a ghoul investigator in a bar full of ghouls; secondly, it’s no lie that he has exceptional features and aura that heads turn every time he passes by. He had tried to avoid attention numerous times but at this point, he doesn’t really care.

Taeyong mostly talks with Doyoung and his apprentice, Chenle, every time he’s here. He’s not one to entertain other ghouls so Kun keeping him company further distracts him from the new pairs of eyes that are on him, because tonight is one of those nights wherein the bar gets new visitors. Truthfully, the situation tonight is a source of amusement for him — observing more unfamiliar ghouls is amusing as it gives him new insights about them. It’s very helpful in his line of work, yes, but all these add more spice to his personal vendetta.

He further scans the room as Kun talks to him about his recent argument with their commander. He’s listening to the latter, but he’s also hoping to catch something unusual and unique tonight. Just as before the lights dimmed for the special performance, Taeyong caught a ghoul, unlike he’s ever encountered before, entering the bar in the most eloquent way.

The dance performance from one of Doyoung’s close friends, Sicheng, finally begins. And Taeyong can hear the muffled sounds of the crowd chanting and the music playing in the background as he stares intently on the unfamiliar ghoul — his slightly long blonde hair falls effortlessly to the side of his face, his black suit fits him enough to show his bare chest, and his jewelry glistens as the light hits them. Taeyong can’t help but stare.

“Ten!” Chenle shouts from behind Taeyong. 

Kun is so engrossed in the performance but he doesn’t miss the way Taeyong flinches on his side as the ghoul walks toward them.

“Hi, hi!” The ghoul, probably named Ten, says to Chenle and Doyoung. 

Taeyong turns to his side to catch a glimpse of them, and it surprises him a little when Ten’s eyes land on his eyes for a brief moment before the latter is pulled by Doyoung to the backroom. He shifts his focus on his drink instead, then to Sicheng who was dancing so gracefully that it was breath-taking.

Not long after, Taeyong hears the door of the backroom open with Doyoung and Ten walking toward his direction. Doyoung introduces them to each other, making Taeyong uncomfortable with the way Ten is directly flirting with him. The feeling only worsened when Doyoung left them on their own to “get to know each other”, but thankfully for him, Ten also left without a word as if sensing the uneasiness in the air.

It didn’t last long, though, because Ten is back to his side and with two drinks on each of his hands.

“So, pretty ghoul investigator,” Ten says eventually, leaning in close to whisper it in his ear. “What else is your business here?” 

_That_ sent shivers down Taeyong’s spine. Ah, yes, the effect sensual ghouls have on him. The moment Ten walked through the door, Taeyong knew he had to avoid him, because sensual ghouls are the most cunning and mischievous of them all. They’re dangerous, and Taeyong can’t handle them. 

“Nothing you should concern yourself with,” Taeyong leans to his side and faces Ten to _try_ to match the intensity in the latter’s eyes. It’s electrifying, seeing Ten’s dark eyes up _this_ close.

“Can’t let it pass when you’ve been staring at me in _all my glory_ since I got here,” Ten raises a brow to make his point.

“I’m merely observing _everyone_ ,” Taeyong says in defense, because it’s the truth. But they both know it’s more than that.

Ten only lets out a laugh and sits on the bar stool that was previously occupied by Kun, who is now engrossed in talking to Sicheng at the other side of the bar.

“Doyoung trusts you, but I don’t. Not yet,” Ten scoffs. “See that ghoul on the far right of the stage? His innocent wife was killed by _your kind_ a few weeks ago, and he’s been going to this bar religiously to cope with his loss.”

“I don’t need your trust,” Taeyong answers nonchalantly, ignoring what Ten just said. 

“Oh, you do. If you’re planning a coup against the Commission of Counter Ghoul—”

“What the fuck?” Taeyong hushes Ten by putting his hand to the latter’s mouth, then looks around to see if Doyoung is around so he can throw him a fit.

Ten slowly licks Taeyong’s hand at that, making the latter move his hand away, “Just so you know, Doyoung trusts me more than he trusts you.”

“Well it’s not his call to tell you about _my_ plan,” he says, annoyed (mostly at Doyoung). “And it’s not a coup,” he adds.

As if on cue, Sicheng and Kun interrupt them as they invite them over to the vacant table on the side. Perhaps he’ll have a talk with Doyoung when the bar gets less crowded.

x

Taeyong’s next visit to the bar was a week after the last one, which is unusual for him since he tries to lengthen the gap between his visits, but he still went because Ten insisted for him to go. A day before he was sent to a different ward to eliminate a ghoul devouring young girls’ torsos, he crossed paths with Ten at a cafe in broad daylight to which they spent the entire day together. It was a delightful day, so to speak, because it didn’t take long for him to feel comfortable around Ten who was babbling about anything under the sun. Turns out, he wasn’t the cunning and mischievous ghoul that Taeyong thought he was.

Kun isn’t with him to keep him company this time, Doyoung is preoccupied with a great deal of customers, and Ten is nowhere to be seen, so he sits on his favorite spot and entertains himself by watching the crowd. He gets too engrossed in his thoughts later on that the sudden darkness surprises him — a cue that the special performance is about to begin.

An elegant instrumental starts to play as the spotlight hits the man on the stage. Taeyong expected it to be Sicheng again, but it wasn’t. Another beat drops and the man tilted his head up to reveal himself, much to Taeyong’s surprise. _It’s Ten_ , and he’s wearing a white laced polo with his hair styled down _._ He started to move gracefully with every beat, his body flowing like water, and Taeyong can’t deny that calming and burning feeling that watching Ten brings. The most captivating part of the performance was when Ten unveiled his _kagune_ from his lower back, a ghoul’s predatory organ and weapon, and it was beautifully resembling that of a butterfly’s wings. It’s the first time Taeyong sees it, dancing flawlessly as Ten moves, and he is enamored by how it perfectly matches Ten’s personality.

“I caught you staring again,” Ten teases, mixing his own drink behind the counter.

“You were quite the performer, I guess?” Taeyong answers, keeping a straight face.

Ten laughs hysterically, dumbfounded by Taeyong’s antics. “It’s my first time performing after a while.”

“Yeah? What made you stop?” 

It was then that Ten walked over to him to bring him to a now vacant table at the back. When they were finally comfortably seated, Ten spoke again.

“My father was my inspiration in dancing ever since I was young, and when he was killed by an investigator a few months back,” Ten pauses. It was a long pause and Taeyong could feel the air thickening and suffocating him as he listened. “He was protecting a young ghoul who was wrongly accused and was being hunted down, but he got killed along the way. Three investigators. Three investigators cornered him and ripped his body apart. I couldn’t dance after that.”

There was only silence for a while, and it was deafening. 

By now, Taeyong is aware that every ghoul has a painful encounter with ghoul investigators, so Ten’s story didn’t come as a surprise. But his heart sinks deeper every single time he hears a new story.

“I’m proud of you for performing again,” Taeyong trails off. “It felt really personal, like I was inside your head.”

“I couldn’t have described it better,” Ten gives him a smile, and Taeyong sensed the genuineness in it. “Thank you for not saying sorry, by the way, I hate feeling others’ pity.”

It must have been the aura surrounding them or the way Ten laughs adorably, because Taeyong found himself opening up faster than he usually does. Ten gave him that sense of comfort, and for the first time in a long while, he wasn’t afraid of the emotions overflowing in him. A little while later, Taeyong finally opened up the tragedy that brought him to live a life fueled by revenge— the first time he encountered a ghoul.

When he was young, Taeyong and his parents never failed to visit a hidden place in the forest near their home. They’ve marked it as their own, and Taeyong has labeled it as his safe haven. It was a night in October when they visited the place once more, and as they took a turn at a dark alley on their walk home, shadows of men casted over them. As they came closer, it became clearer that they were wearing black suits and holding specific weapons designed for ghoul investigators only. Taeyong clearly remembers how his father spoke and got interrupted by the sword piercing through his heart, spilling blood where they were standing. A few men arrived as his mother picked him up to run rigorously, turning at one corner after another. It was then that three women came to block their way, and his mother sighed a relief upon seeing them. She quietly spoke to whoever they were before passing him over to one of them. Crying and out of breath, his mother kissed him for the last time, then ran towards the opposite direction along with the other two women.

Later that night, the murder of two ghoul investigators were all over the news, accusing ghouls as the suspect of the crime. They found their bodies at an alley in the city, along with two other ghouls, making it seem like those ghouls attacked them. It also didn’t fail to mention how the son of the couple was kidnapped by the ghouls. 

The truth was, that night, Taeyong was saved by the creatures that people blame caused his parents’ death. As Taeyong made sense of the world around him, he realized that his parents were framed, and the Commission created the scene to bring public unrest. Because ever since then, the people’s will to eliminate ghouls escalated.

x

Ever since that night at the bar with Ten, Taeyong felt even closer to him than he ever thought possible. They’ve been spending days and nights in between their works, challenging themselves to do something they’ve never done before, and Taeyong isn’t even complaining because _hell,_ he craves for Ten’s company.

And in those times they spent together, Taeyong saw the world in Ten’s perspective. From that, he finally understood how Ten let the injustices motivate him. Like Taeyong, he seeks justice, for his father’s death and for the death of countless innocent ghouls, but their difference is that Ten doesn't fail to stop and smell the roses every once in a while. Because a life fueled by revenge and anger adds more fuel to the fire, creating even more chaos.

Taeyong is happy to have Ten around him, along with Kun, Doyoung, and the number of ghouls that have agreed to join the underground organization they have formed against the deceits of the Commission.

Mayhaps, Ten could actually be something more than an ally or a friend, and Taeyong is willing to take a risk to find out; because when two worlds collide, it either creates chaos or order. And for so long, it has always been the former despite the relentless efforts from each side, but somehow, with Ten, Taeyong senses a hope that it can be changed.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! let me know what you think ❤️


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